Review: Night Blade by J.C. Daniels

Hi everyone. I'm going to get right to the point. I've just finished Night Blade. I'm still in shock. Apologies if the review is not cohesive. Will read over again once in a less emotionally fraught state of mind... *whimpers*.

Title: Night Blade
Author: J.C. Daniels a.k.a. Shiloh Walker
Publisher: Shiloh Walker Inc.
Release Date: 4th March 2013
Series: The Colbana Files, Book 2
Source: My Personal Copy

Blurb from Goodreads:
Kit Colbana is always biting off more than she can chew. She has a knack for finding trouble. This time, though, trouble finds her. Someone from her past drops a case into her lap that she just can’t refuse…literally.
People on the Council are dying left and right and she’s been requested to investigate the deaths. The number one suspect? Her lover, Damon. If she doesn’t clear his name, he gets a death sentence. Even if she succeeds? They still might try to execute him. Oh, and she’s not allowed to tell him about the case, either.
The stakes are high this time around, higher than they’ve ever been. Kit may be forced to pay the ultimate price to save her lover’s life…a price that could destroy her and everything she loves.

Review:
First Line: 'I am aneira. My blade is strong. Strong enough to handle a lot of things but not enough to handle the four shifters who had been trailing me all day.'
Ok, first of all, stop right here if you have not read book 1 in the series BLADE SONG. In fact, stop and go buy it. Like now. Just so you can read NIGHT BLADE, seriously, do it now.
Secondly, I must forewarn all future readers of NIGHT BLADE. Have tissues ready, or at the very least some chocolate to see you through. Jen at Red Hot Books, tried to warn me...I was a fool and didn't listen. I'm begging you, please have some form of comfort ready. I'm still in shock as I write...my heart actually hurts right now.

But before we get to the part that makes me want to hunt down J.C. Daniels and get her to say it wasn't true, we must go back to the beginning.
Kit and Damon are right where we left them, happily annoying the heck out of each other and going strong despite the Cat clan and, well, basically the entire shifter community thinking it's a bit of a joke. Damon's still the Alpha Cat and he's finally reaching the end of cleaning up the mess Kitty-Cat Barbie (the previous Cat Alpha) had left the clan in. Basically he's forcing the pack crazies to change their ways and killing those who won't. As for Kit, well Kit is still running Colbana Investigations, doing the jobs brought her way by other non-humans. Including little things like couriering two severed heads for the local wolf Alpha Alisdair MacDonald. Only that little trip shows us how much things have changed for Kit now that she is dating Damon. Kit is babysat on her courier job by a wolf because MacDonald is afraid of the reprisals should Kit get hurt while working for him. That chafes Kit's ego somewhat. So does Damon's need to check up on her and defend her at the littlest slight. But all in all, everything is going well and their relationship is standing strong....
...Then we meet her ex-boyfriend Justin, and this happens:

Justin leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees. “I can see what you’re thinking,” he mused. “It’s written in your eyes. You never have learned how to control that, Kitty-kitty.”
“If you keep on calling me that, I’m going to punch you,” I said, smiling at him.
He snorted. “Won’t be the first time.”
“Probably won’t be the last. Now, why don’t you finish spouting whatever crap you have to spout, so I can tell you no and kick you out?”
“You can’t,” he said and the gravity of his voice served to ratchet up the tension building in my chest. “And I think you already know something is fucked up. Because I can see that, too. I know you too well.”
“If you know me, Justin, then you know I don’t like games. Tell me what the hell is going on and quit screwing around.”
He nodded, a slow dip of his head. “You don’t want to tell me no, Kit. You can’t. You have to do this job…and you can’t fuck it up, because if you do, it’s very, very possible an extermination squad is going to be sent after your man, Kit. And I don’t think you want that.”

Ah heck.

Justin works for the Banner unit, and they think Damon has killed 5 assembly members without just cause. Now Damon's got a target on his back and the only one who can help him is Kit. Only she can't talk to Damon about it...no seriously...she physically can't talk about it, because the sneaky witch that he is, Justin puts a binding on Kit that causes her agony when she tries to tell anyone...including Damon, what she's investigating. Now Kit has to prove Damon is innocent of what the the Banner unit is accusing him of...oh and did I mention she's got a deadline too...it's a race against the clock, and she can't even tell the man she is falling in love with. What could possibly go wrong...?

Kit is such an amazing character. I have some serious respect for her. She's tough as nails, we've heard of some of the abuse she suffered from her Grandmother and Aunts in BLADE SONG but I don't think we even scratched the surface of her past. This fight, this strength stems from her ordeal there...however, Kit is also a very vulnerable woman. Her nights are plagued by horrific nightmares of the very events that gave her her steel core. No matter what, she will not break. She pushes through the memories and with Damon's help has been able to love again. Had he not shown himself so worthy of her heart, I don't know if Kit would have ever reached out to Damon the way she does, though she still isn't quite strong enough to share the full extent of the horrors that plague her.

These characters blow my mind.

Which is why the last 25% of the book absolutely killed me.

...Kit...oh god...Kit...

I am not going to spoil this for anyone, and I know I wouldn't be able to do it justice anyway. All I can say is that I cried like a baby. Wiped my eyes. Read another page. Cried some more. Started talking to myself like a lunatic, saying 'no no no no'. I'm still reeling even as I write this. There is a hollow feeling in my chest now, but at first there was only pain. I feel like a little bit of my book lover soul died. That bit reserved for those characters I love with all my heart. There really should be a neon sign stating that this book will render you emotionally stunned for at least 3 hours after (that's how long it's been since I finished it).

I genuinely don't know how to sum up this book. It's so good...but it's so heart wrenching it makes you feel like you are drowning in your emotion. J.C. Daniels might as well have just walked up to me and hit me over the head with a baseball bat...that's how stunned I am right now.

...I'm so gonna need counselling...

My Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Shadow's Edge by Jami Gray

Jami will be giving away a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as to the host with the most comments on her stop (excluding the author's and the host's). So leave me a comment for your chance to win!

Hi everyone, today I'm honoured to be part of the GoddessFish book tour for Shadow's Edge by Jami Gray. This is book 1 in the Kyn Kronicles, enjoy :)

Title: Shadow's Edge
Author: Jami Gray
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Release Date: 29th October 2011
Series: Kyn Kronicles, book 1
Source: E-book provided by GoddessFish in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:
It takes a monster to hunt one, and for Raine McCord, forged in the maelstrom of magic and science, she’s the one for the job. In a world where the supernatural live in a shadowy existence with the mundane, a series of disappearances and deaths threatens the secrecy of her kind and indicates someone knows the monsters are alive and kicking. Partnering up with the sexy and tantalising Gavin Durand proves to be a challenge as dangerous as the prey she hunts.
When the trail points back to the foundation which warped Raine’s magic as a child, her torturous past raises its ugly head. Gavin and Raine sift through a maze of lies, murder and betrayal to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

Review:
First Line: 'With a quick twist of her wrist, Raine slipped the blade between Quinn’s ribs. His heart gave one last desperate beat then fell silent. He slid slowly down her body to his knees, ending up in a strange, lover-like tableau.'
We start this book at the end of a battle, a fight that thankfully our heroine Raine has won. Her hands still shake after killing someone, something she believes still distinguishes her from the monsters she hunts. Within the first few pages, Raine's past is eluded to. Mentions of mixed heritage and being experimented on had me intrigued by Raine almost instantly...I love it when you have to wait to discover huge parts of the main characters life, makes things more interesting. 

In SHADOW'S EDGE Supernatural creatures are called Kyn, and they aren't exactly the most forthcoming type...one of the reasons whey they're still in hiding from the human population. Raine is part of an otherworldly task force (theTaliesin) ...not only is she one of their best operatives but she is also one of the 12 elite chosen to police the supernatural world. Raine is a Wraith. Part fey part unknown, Raine is a mystery even to herself, but she's a damn good fighter. When Raine and Gavin (another Wraith) are called onto two separate cases they are briefed together as these cases may be connected. Gavin is given the task of looking into the suspicious accidents of 7 men, whereas Raine is given a breach in Taliesin security to investigate. Unbeknownst to Gavin, Raine is hiding secrets that may compromise the investigation...but Raine has her reasons for keeping secrets. For these secrets will open up the door to Rains horrific past...a door she may never be able to close. They knew it was going to be dangerous but now she and Gavin are the hunted...will Raine be able to save Gavin and in the process...save herself?

Our heroine is Raine, a half fey, half unknown woman. Her heritage is unknown because her mother died in the captivity Raine eventually escaped from. Raine has had a torturous past, one that leaves her waking up in cold sweats every night. Raine's nightmares bleed into her reality when the case she is working hits a little too close to a past that she would rather keep hidden. There are rumours about her... rumours that allude to the horrible things forced upon her while held captive in a human lab. Things that warped her very nature, Raine's magic is not what it once was. Now...it's deadly. 

Raine may be good when it comes to knives and combat in general, but throw a hot, willing man into the mix and she has no clue what to do. Raine is closed off from everyone and her partner Gavin is no exception. There is some obvious sexual tension from the very beginning of the book, as if Raine has been lusting after Gavin for a while now. You get to see Raine slowly open herself up to Gavin throughout...trusting him more and more with pieces of herself. However one big revelation proves too much for this budding relationship and Raine begins to shut down again...but she wants Gavin's trust back. Raine doesn't want to have to rely on anyone but herself but Gavin somehow manages to wriggle under her skin. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous and enjoys pushing Raine's limits...plus they can spar together. I do think that Gavin falls into the 'Bad Boy' category...I expected him to develop into something more as the story progressed but nope, he remained firmly in the 'generic bad boy' category. I think his character could have been a little more, I think Raine deserved a little more but I guess it wasn't to be.

'Slightly disconcerted, she met his darkening eyes. She grabbed another chair, dragged it next to his took a seat and faced him. Trying to ignore the sensation of her left thigh barely brushing his outstretched right leg, she bent over his wound. Her voice came out husky. “We need to clean you up, though I don’t think you’ll need stitches.”
He said nothing. She slanted a glance up. He was watching her—like some big cat waiting to pounce. She shrugged and forced her attention back to the work at hand, though her fingers trembled slightly as she cleaned the blood off the wound, now half-closed. Warmth radiated from Gavin, spreading chills down her
arms. Her awareness of him as a male was raising her tension level—which, in turn, pissed her off.
Her eyes whipped to his. “Whatever you’re doing, knock it off. I don’t like games.”
His face darkened with satisfaction at her outburst. “I’m not doing anything.” His other arm darted around her neck. “But I can change that,” he whispered.'

I had one bigger problem with SHADOW'S EDGE. The book shows so much promise, the characters are interesting and the plot is pretty complex. It had everything I look for in a good PR, a strong lead, good base plot, mystery, suspense...I just couldn't connect with it. I don't know what it was but something just didn't catch me. You know there are those books you have where you can start reading...intending to only read for 20 minutes but you get so absorbed you physically can't stop and the time just flies. I though SHADOW'S EDGE was going to be one of them, don't get me wrong...there were places that did happen, the action scenes mostly...the places where you saw Raine most at home...but then something would slow it down and I'd find myself putting it down to go make a cup of tea. I can't quite put my finger on it but something about Raine and her relationship with Gavin just didn't always connect with me. It may just be me and in places I did enjoy it but there's just something...gah I can't even explain it properly but I didn't feel part of their story...I was merely an observer looking through a window, seeing but not feeling.

Anyway, despite this I believe this series has a lot of potential and I will keep an eye out, I was just a little disappointed with this particular book, it could have been more.

My Rating: 3/5

Excerpt

 “You’re going to have to move fast if you want to save your boyfriend, Raine.” It took a second for the words to penetrate through the static.

“Who are you?”

“Let’s just say you and I are kin of sorts.” The voice was a vibrating growl.

“Strange, I don’t remember attending a family reunion recently.” Her heart rate kicked up and static whispered across the line even as she struggled to stay calm.

The static cleared. “Perhaps because you have no family left.”

Her blood froze at the words. “What do you want?” Her own voice came out cold, merciless.

“Ah, ah ah,” the voice chided. “No need to get so upset, cher. I just wanted to let you know if you want lover boy to make it out sane, you best starting moving on Dr. Lawson’s little lab.”

“What lab?” she bit out.

There was a huge elaborate sigh. “I’m so disappointed at how slow y’all move. Hasn’t your boss found lover boy’s car yet?” The gruff voice didn’t wait for answer. “Check the glove compartment. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

Her mind raced furiously. “How do I know this isn’t just another little trap?”

The growl rumbled. “You don’t, but since you and I know exactly what’s happening to lover boy, I have a feeling it won’t matter. That Chet character, he was getting way too close, but this one they’re keeping alive for now. He shows promise.” A guttural scream cut through the airwaves, and she felt her breath stop. 

About the Author:

Growing up on the Arizona-Mexico border, Jami Gray was adopted at the age of 14 and suddenly became the fifth eldest of 37 children. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and three minors-History, English, and Theatre.  Shortly after marrying her techie-geek hubby (who moonlighted as her best friend in high school) she completed a Masters in Organisational Management from University of Phoenix Oregon. 

Now, years later, she’s back in the Southwest where  she’s outnumbered in her own home by two Star Wars obsessed boys, one Star Wars obsessed husband, and an overly-friendly, 105-pound male lab.  Writing is what saves her sanity.

Review: Stray by Rachel Vincent

Hey all, it's the turn of Rachel Vincent's Young Adult series. This is Stray, book #1 in the Faythe Sanders series. Enjoy!

Title: Stray
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Mira Books
Release Date: February 2009 (UK) | July 2007 (US)
Series: Faythe Sanders/Shifters series, book 1
Source: My own copy

From Rachel Vincent's website:
I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.
Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.
This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back... for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever and whoever--I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays--'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them...

Review:
The Shifters series follows werecat Faythe Sanders as she tries to cope with being one of the few female werecats (tabbies) in the United States. She is an extremely stubborn individual as we find her at college at the start of this book, rather then doing what is considered to be her duty to her species and finding a man, and...well...continuing her species. As much as Faythe values her independence, she must be cautious, as some people will do anything to bag themselves a tabby. Including kidnapping.
While on campus, Faythe is the target of an attack by a stray (a werecat that does not belong to a pride), after surprising him with her self defence skills, thankfully the stray gives up and leaves. However only minutes later, Faythe is visited by the last person she wanted to see. Her ex-boyfriend Marc....and he's come to drag her home. Marc is the last person Faythe want's to see, but when she finds out that Tabbies are disappearing all over America (including her cousin) she reluctantly agrees to return home.

I wasn't entirely sold on Faythe as a character to begin with. She's ridiculously stubborn and will sometimes put herself and others in harms way just to prove a point. She also can come across as selfish, but considering she has had her independence taken from her it's almost understandable. Faythe most certainly isn't perfect, nor is she always likeable...however she is a very real and believable character and her flaws make her easier to connect with. When Faythe arrives home, she discovers she is not the only tabby to have been attacked. And 2 of them are missing - including her teenage cousin. Faythe becomes determined to find out who took them...before they come back for her.

Faythe has alot of people who care deeply about her, her over-protective older brothers, her Alpha father, and lovely mother. I love the scenes with her family, it shows Faythe isn't completely emotionless. Also coming under the over protective section is ex-boyfriend Marc. Marc seems like a genuinely nice guy apart from being a bit hot-headed. Marc want's nothing more than to settle down with Faythe...her father would like the same. He appears to be the perfect boyfriend, but Faythe only wants certain parts of their relationship and certainly nothing more permanent...at least not now. It's one of the reasons I didn't warm to her character, she keeps messing with Marc's emotions and he's such a nice guy...I feel bad for him. I hope, I really hope she makes up her mind and stops being so blind to what she has!

The plot was well paced and kept me interested all the way through. Some of the plot twists I didn't see coming. Although there is a horror film cliché involving Faythe practically running into the kidnappers arms. You can't help but shout 'what on earth were you thinking'...and you know her family will have the same reaction. 

One of the reasons I did eventually warm to Faythe was that she learnt from the mistakes she made throughout the story, you can see her potential and I can't wait to see what happens with her character throughout the series. Overall Stray is a pretty enjoyable addition to the Young Adult genre. I will be picking up book 2 in the series to see what happens to Faythe next.

My Rating: 4/5

Review: Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

This is the début novel from author Kenya Wright. Fire Baptized is book 1 in the Habitat series

Title: Fire Baptized

Author: Kenya Wright

Publisher: Dragonfairy Press

Release Date: 16th January 2012 (Kindle Edition)

Series: Habitat Series, Book 1

Source: I received this e-book from the author for the purposes of an honest review.

From Kenya Wright's website:
Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.
Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.
Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend Meshack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention. While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

Review:

When I read the synopsis to this book I thought it sounded good. I was wrong, this book isn't just good, it's great. Kenya Wright has created an incredible world. Added to a plot-line cram packed with action and suspense and you have the recipe for a damn good read.

The story is set in Miami but in this Miami there are Habitats where the supernatural creatures are penned in to keep them separate from the human race. Mixbreeds like Lanore (people whose parents are from different races) are second class citizens, and are not allowed to socially mix with purebloods and rarely go into higher education. In fact if she graduates Lanore will be the first Mixie to graduate from her college. Each type of supernatural creature has a silver brand on their foreheads. Mixies have a large X brand, identifying them for all the world to see and are largely shunned by society.  There is disparity between the purebloods and the Mixies and it's very well written. It's not the central theme of the book but it does give it another dimension. This disparity is intricately worked into most scenes like when she goes into a club to see her room-mate/ex-boyfriend and his band play, she is told she must sit at the back away from the pure-bloods, despite being equivalent to a VIP.

From very beginning we are thrown straight into an action packed scene where our heroine Lanore is running from security trolls having stolen the books she needs to continue her schooling. From there her day goes from bad to worse when she crosses paths with a couple of thugs who try to mug her and rape her. However, Lanore is half royal Fairy and half Demon, giving her the power of pyrokinises. If not for her ability to wield fire, Lanore would have been in big trouble. However her fire doesn't help her when only minutes later she stumbles upon a murder. Lanore cannot help the poor woman being butchered before her eyes and unfortunately she is seen by the killer. From there she finds notes from the killer taped to her apartment door and 'presents' they leave on her doorstep and in her apartment. These gifts consist of body parts belonging to people she knows. Lanore knows it's only a matter of time before the killer catches up with her so she becomes determined to get him before he comes for her.

As well as a killer with his sights set on her, Lanore has to deal with the two dominant male personalities in her life. Meshack, her room-mate and ex is the first one we meet. He's a pureblooded were-cheetah whom Lanore has known since her childhood, which by all accounts was troubled. Especially since her demon father experimented on Meshack, making him different from all other shifters. Meshack and La La (his nickname for her) have a pretty confusing but intense history and in a few scenes you can see the passion they have for each other still burns hot. Second is the mysterious Mixie Zulu, who like Lanore has royal Fairy in his blood, but also were-tiger. He has the ability to stop the shifts of most were animals and oozes power. Zulu is cunning and dangerous and, like Meshack, has fallen head over heels in love with Lanore. This leads to some fiery confrontations between the two men, usually with Lanore refereeing. Lanore has some tough decisions ahead concerning the two men in her life. I'm eager to see where these relationships end up throughout the series.

I enjoyed the world Kenya Wright has created and like the characters that call it home. I felt Lanore was a believable heroine, she may have been investigating these murders but you felt her fear along the way, she isn't naive or stupid enough to believe that she will come out of this completely unscathed. She also handles the situations concerning Zulu and Meshack well and will not allow them to dictate to her or to distract her from her task...no matter how hard they try. She's far too stubborn for that. Zulu and Meshack are great contrasts as her lovers, Meshack being the pureblooded but rough around the edges rock star, and Zulu the refined aristocrat Mixbreed with more money that he knows what to do with. He also heads up a rebellious faction within the Habitat that calls for equality for the Mixies, something Lanore is proud to be a part of. The plot is straight forward and exciting with twists and turns as you try to figure out who the killer is along with Lanore. I enjoyed it immensely.

All in all I was presently surprised by Fire Baptized and will be on the lookout for the next one in the series. Also I think the cover is awesome.

My Rating 4/5